Barbara J. Hamby

Hit Me Again

I got my morning chuckle early today. When I opened my email, the top two headlines (both SPAM) read, “Your Bill is $700,000,000,000” and, “Having Trouble Sleeping?”

Very funny, AOL. To top it off, they were in my regular file, not the SPAM folder. What a way to start the day!

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Only one other writer and I showed up for the critique group this afternoon, but we had a good session. The others may get back in the groove next time; this was the first meeting after the summer.

I had sent poems to an anthology. They were rejected, but the judges critiqued one of my poems and I revised it in accordance with their suggestions. My writer friend agreed that the poem was definitely improved by the changes.

This summer I also entered a poetry chapbook contest, sending a manuscript to be judged. The winner will receive a cash prize, and a number of copies of the finished book. I don’t remember the exact details. If I don’t win, I’ll probably receive a copy of the winning book. It’s always helpful to read what is being accepted by certain publishers, even if I seldom like what they print.